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  Editorial: When a mature democracy judges itself The sentencing of former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison marks more than the end of an individual career. It represents a moment of moral reckoning for a democracy confident enough to judge its own power at its peak. The court’s ruling did not merely describe the December 3 emergency decree as unconstitutional. It called it what it was: a “coup from above,” a form of insurrection carried out not by rebels on the margins but by those January 21, 2026
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  Black Eagles to participate in air show in Saudi Arabia next month SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea's aerobatics team will participate in an air show in Saudi Arabia next month after a refueling stopover in Japan, the Air Force said Wednesday. The team will depart Wonju next Wednesday for the International Defense Industry Exhibition, stopping in Okinawa, Japan, to refuel and hold an exchange event with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's aerobatics team Blue Impulse. Japan had abruptly refused to provide refueling support for the Bl January 21, 2026
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  'I-CON City an experiment in creativity and growth — not urban development': Kessler SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - The ambitious experiment of blending high technology, research, entertainment and community life — while mixing American and Korean cultural elements — is made possible by one decisive factor: location. Cheongna, a 10-minute drive from South Korea’s main gateway at Incheon International Airport, provides the foundation for the $1.4 billion I-CON City project, according to the American developer behind the plan. “This is not just a January 21, 2026
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  Koreanness, the answer BTS found for its return SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - As BTS prepares to return as a full group after nearly four years, the question surrounding the comeback has never really been whether it would make an impact, but how the group would choose to reappear. The answer, it seems, is rooted in something familiar — and distinctly Korean. BTS will release its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” on March 20, marking its first full reunion in three years and nine months. Around the album, January 21, 2026
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  KOSPI closes higher as won strengthens amid mixed Asian markets SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Asian stock markets closed mixed on Wednesday as U.S. tariff threats rattled investors, with signs of a broader "sell America" trend adding to volatility across the region. In Seoul, the KOSPI swung more than 100 points before finishing at 4,909.93, up 0.49 percent from the previous session, while the KOSDAQ dropped 2.57 percent to 951.29. Individuals offloaded a net 996.5 billion won ($675 million), while foreign investors and institutions p January 21, 2026
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  Japanese bond yields trigger global tantrum, South Korea most sensitive SEOUL, Jan 21 (AJP) - Major sovereign bond yields, including South Korean treasuries, jumped on Tuesday after a sharp surge in Japanese government bond yields — bringing the elephant in the room back into focus: the massive yen carry trade. The benchmark 10-year JGB yield closed up 7 basis points at 2.34 percent, its highest level in nearly three decades. The move quickly spilled over abroad, pushing the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield up 7.5 basis points to 4.295 percent and Au January 21, 2026
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  Samsung Biologics becomes first Korean drugmaker to join 2 trillion won income club SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics on Wednesday posted record annual operating profit for 2025, becoming the first pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in South Korea to surpass the 2 trillion won threshold. The contract drug manufacturing giant posted an operating profit of 2.07 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for 2025, soaring 56.6 percent from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing released Wednesday. Revenue climbed 30.3 percent to 4.55 trillion won, while net January 21, 2026
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  Seoul weighs weekly half-price movie tickets to lure audiences back to cinemas SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea is considering offering half-priced movie tickets and free admission to royal palaces every Wednesday, instead of once a month, as part of a broader effort to revive cultural consumption — though doubts remain over whether the move can rescue a struggling cinema industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it plans to expand “Culture Day,” currently held on the last Wednesday of each month, to every Wednes January 21, 2026
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  Busan's Gwabeop elementary school holds graduation event SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Gwabeop Elementary School in Sasang-gu, Busan, held its 44th and final graduation ceremony on Jan. 20. The event included a graduation for eight last graduates followed by a farewell ceremony, marking the end of the school's long history. According to the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, Gwabeop Elementary opened on March 5, 1982, with 28 classes and 1,261 students. Student enrollment declined sharply in recent years—6 new students in 202 January 21, 2026
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  Bupyeong fire station conducts winter water rescue training January 21, 2026